If you’re at a school either before or after school, a familiar sight is that of lines of school buses and private autos lined up outside dropping off or picking up students. In Cincinnati, Ohio, the University of Cincinnati does a lot of research on environmental health. In Cincinnati, about 1 in 4 school-age children suffer from asthma. (We have a similar rate of asthma here in North Texas, which is high and continues to climb). The University of Cincinnati has a research project underway in conjunction with the Cincinnati Health Department and Cincinnati Public schools to help reduce asthma in the community. This research project’s goal is determine how idling school buses and proximity to busy roadways affects the incidence of asthma in school-age children. This is being studied in order to provide information to policy makers and public health officials regarding the extent of pollutants from idling school buses in order to guide policy decisions. (Research shows asthma is triggered by proximity to particulates from diesel emissions. The incidence of asthma attacks rise when school buses idle at schools, and also when schools are near major roadways.)
The research will occur in two stages. During the first stages, students with asthma will have the air sampled both at their school and home neighborhood. Both indoor and outdoor sampling will be done, and the school sampling will include areas near entrances, and in classrooms. In the second stage of the study, an anti-idling campaign will take place, with air sampling at that time. The children will have medical information taken at both stages. There is also an education component that will be at work in order to educate teachers, school nurses, bus drivers, and school administration about how to reduce the health hazards of bus and auto idling.
In green building, we talk about how air pollution is detrimental to the success of students. Air inside a school is never as good (clean) as air outside a school. So if outside air is polluted how will schools be able to provide a healthy indoor environment?
In another way of creating a solution for the problem of school bus idling, LEED for Schools provides a point for bike racks and for building where there are bike routes to school which avoid busy streets.
Also at work on the subject of school bus idling and Outdoor Air Quality (OAQ) is the American Lung Association (ALA). In North Texas, ALA has been lobbying the state legislature to pass a school bus anti-idling law. ALA is also working to educate teachers and administrators on how to limit outdoor time for students on bad OAQ (Outdoor Air Quality) days.
If you want to help the students at your school reduce absenteeism from asthma and other respiratory problems, try instigating a District-wide Indoor and Outdoor Air Quality program. Also contact your state and federal legislators to impress upon them the importance of supporting these measures.
http://healthnews.uc.edu
www.ala.org
www.usgbc.org
I would like to see what the results are after the study; not that it will be a surprise. It seems common sense not to have school buses sitting there idle while children are right there in the midst. However, legislation seem to pay more attention to concrete numbers and research so maybe it will get their attention and have them do something about it. With all the current issues with our health system, you think they would want to do everything possible to keep our kids healthy. (S. Ellason, TSU)
ReplyDeleteI do not understand why we need legislation/policy to step in? Why can't the school make the decision to have a no idling pick up zone. Buses are easy because they are typically run by the district. Parents in the pick up lines might fuss for a bit, but how can they argue?
ReplyDeleteI see what you mean Kerry, it seems like this should be handled district by district. For a the smaller schools that run only a few few buses, a state mandate would not help them as much as the larger districts anyway. Also, would parents cars idling emit just a much pollution? Seems like a lot more could be done there, but I do not know how that could be implemented.
ReplyDeleteM. Nelson (TSU)
This can really be a major problem if a district has an old fleet of buses. We have some buses that just blow black smoke out when they are running. It cost around $75,000 to replace a bus with just the basics. Money will always drive the way a school does business.
ReplyDeleteCGibbs(TSU)
This has always been a pet peeve of mine. When I was in school you either walked or you rode the bus. Parents took you to school only when you had a project due which was too unweildy for the bus or horror of horrors-you missed the bus. I realize that many students have long bus rides to and from school. I know it isn't always convenient to have them ready and on the bus but we really need to consider the amount of additional exhaust generated by the unecessary cars in the bus line and the additional idle time buses have while waiting for parents to drop off and pick up their students. Perhaps some sort of public awareness campaign could be used to emphasize this and to also point out the resultant deminished air quality in the area near schools.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally the students who must walk to school are at risk by the large number of parents who rush to get to work after dropping their children at school.
It is just common sense in regards to the idling in pickup lines. The buses have no reason to be running while waiting for students to load. Diesel or gas, it makes no difference now. It has been shown that idling for a diesel is not good for it anyway! It is my understanding that the new diesel engines are programed to shut off after 30 minutes. I don't care that they say our emissions are cleaner since they are still putting pollutants into the air. I would be interested in learning what the studies determine.
ReplyDeleteB. Irick (TSU)
It's hard to believe that more parents that have kids have not protested this with the districts. I think if they would speak up something would be done.
ReplyDeleteElewis(TSU)
I have no idea why schools allow vehicles, especially diesel (determined a carcinogen in 1979 I think so it's not exactly new news) buses to idle in the vicinity of schools. Yet most do allow it, I think it's to for drivers to keep the buses warm/cool depending on the season while waiting for students. I think administrators aren't focused on a healthy environment in schools for the most part. I also don't know what happened that kids don't walk or ride the bus to school, Melanie I agree with you, but I've seen schools being built recently that have access from the neighborhood and there are many walkers/bike riders, in many cases it's not safe for kids to be on busy arterials. A LEED project can get a credit for neighborhood access. Again common sense.
ReplyDeleteThis is really a problem in the cold months. It take forever to warm up the bus motor enough to run the heater. Most drivers start the bus a long time before the kids get on the bus so it will be warm for the kids. So what are you going to do? Put kids on a cold bus or save on fuel cost and clean air?
ReplyDeleteCGibbs(TSU)
School personnel may have limited control over whether polluters adhere to the Clean Air Act, but they can assess their indoor and outdoor environment and take proactive steps, such as prohibiting bus idling, to improve air quality for students and staff. (C.Scott -TSU)
ReplyDeleteIt is definitely important to make sure the environment is healthy for students. Is there a way to get an air test? I would like to see what the air is like at my school. In my class, many of my students have asthma. I never thought about how the exhaust effected me or my students.
ReplyDeleteI never really thought about the effects of the emissions. The environment for my students is very important to me. a lot of my students have asthma. I would like to know the procedure of testing the air by my schools. How much of a difference is the emissions of the old and new engines?
ReplyDeleteI never really thought about the emissions of the bus or any other vehicle. Is there a way to test the air quality? I would like to know what my school's air quality is. I have a lot of students in my class that have asthma.
ReplyDeleteIt is a very interesting study to look forward to. I am highly concerend when I see this outside my school which clearly has a free-asthma zone and no - idling signs, and I cannot help but think of the contradiction
ReplyDeleteThis is a great thing to do. There is actually a law in my state that prevents idling in front of school buildings. This is a good thing to happen to because it does prevent pollution. Also it helps the childrens health and that is what is most important.
ReplyDeleteIf "idling school buses and proximity to busy roadways affects the incidence of asthma in school age children", it’s not surprising that the number of students with asthma has risen. But "if air inside a school is never as clean as air outside a school", then there truly is a dilemma. Where should administrators tell their students to line up for the buses? It seems that the only logical solution is to stop buses and cars from idling even though the buses and cars are getting warmed up in the wintertime.
ReplyDeleteIt is a dilemma. Perhaps solar powered heaters? Better insulation? If you want to test the air at your school you can contact the American Lung Association, they've been conducting tests.
ReplyDelete